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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · present · board · mug · fork · rule · chair · root

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. board — to get on
  7. mug — to rob
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. present — the time now
  13. root — the cause
  14. board — a committee
  15. root — of a word
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. spell — magic
  19. mug — a cup
  20. spell — letters
  21. fork — in a road
  22. chair — a leader
  23. root — of a plant
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com